Spring Activities

Warmer weather, school holidays, and the kids need something to do. Read on for recipes, crafts, and games to keep the kids busy and celebrate Spring.

Make your own special soaps
You'll need a pure glycerine soap bar or two (Neutrogena works great, Pears transparent soap was a dismal failure), a selection of flowers, leaves, glitter etc, and a few clean containers to use as molds. I like the trays that bought biscuits come in, or silicone cupcake molds.
First, grate the soap bars or cut into ice-cube size pieces. Put in a glass bowl or jug, and melt for 10 to 20 seconds in the microwave.
Get the kids to put the flowers, leaves, glitter etc in the molds. Then pour the melted soap on top. They might also like to add a few drop of beetroot juice for pink soap, or a little honey.
The soap will set as it cools, then it can be removed from the mold. This is another reason I like to use biscuit trays – if the soap sticks to the tray, I can destroy the tray getting it out! If you use ice cub trays as molds, put them in the freezer for ten minutes before turning out the soap – this helps to stop it sticking.

Make a Bird Feeder
First, you need to find an opened pine cone. Spread peanut butter all over it, then roll it in bird seed. For children with a peanut allergy, use lard or shortening instead of peanut butter. Use a string or ribbon to tie the pine cone to a tree branch, and watch the birds enjoy their treat. Make sure you use the right kind of bird seed for native birds in your area – easily available at supermarkets and pet food shops.

Gutter Racing
Make the most of those rainy days we still get occasionally during Spring. Make paper boats, and race them down the gutters.

Hopscotch
Do you remember playing hopscotch as a kid? Draw the grid onto the driveway with chalk and teach your kids how to play. Fun for everyone!

Spring Rolls
There's an abundance of fresh, healthy food in Spring – make the most of it with fresh rice paper rolls.
Get rice paper circles at Asian food shops or in the Asian food aisle at the supermarket. You'll also need rice vermicelli, something green (basil, mint, and baby spinach are good), something crunchy (like bean shoots or snow peas), and something colourful (try carrot, capsicum, or grated fresh beetroot).
Cook the vermicelli. While it's cooling, grate or finely chop the colourful ingredients, and shred the green leaves. Wet a rice paper circle on a plate of water, then lay on a dry chopping board. Place a line of vermicelli on the rice paper, then lay on the other ingredients. Roll up nice and tight – ready for eating!